Tractor mounted counterweight



Nov. 30, 1965 J. s. PlLCH TRACTOR MOUNTED COUNTERWEIGHT 3 Sheets-Sheet 1Original Filed June 27, 1962 INVENTOR.

'P L. C

JOHN S.

Nov. 30, 1965 J. 5. PlLCH 3, 0, 82

TRACTOR MOUNTED COUNTERWEIGHT Original Filed June 27, 1962 3Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. JOHN s. 1=|| :1

7 A TOENE'Y Nov. 30, 1965 5, 3,220,582

TRACTOR MOUNTED COUNTERWEIGH'I' Original Filed June 27, 1962 3Sheets-Sheet 3 0 24 1" INVENTOR. F1 9. .5. JOHN s. 1=|L c|1 I ATT/OPNEKUnited States Patent 3,220,582 TRACTOR MOUNTED COUNTERWEIGHT John S.Pilch, P.O. Box 140, Ware, Mass. Continuation of application Ser. No.205,765, June 27, 1962. This application Dec. 10, 1964, Ser. No. 421,7403 Claims. (Cl. 214-142) This invention relates to tractors and tractormounted counterweights for application with a tractor loader or the likeand has particular reference to a new and improved means for attachingsaid counterweights to and detaching them from said tractor loader.

This application is a continuation of my application, Serial Number205,765, filed June 27, 1962, now abandoned.

An object of the invention is to provide new and improved means forattaching counterweights to and detaching them from a tractor loaderwhereby said counterweights may be readily and speedily attached to anddetached from the tractor loader.

Another object is to provide a new and improved means for attaching anddetaching counterweights on a tractor loader whereby such attachment anddetachment may be performed by one man working alone without the use ofapparatus such as hoists or cranes additional to the tractor loaderbeing fitted with the counter weights.

Another object is to provide a new and improved means for attachingcounterweights to a tractor loader whereby the power of such tractorloader may be utilized as the motive force for powering such attachment.

Another object is to provide a new and improved means for attachingcounterweights to a tractor loader whereby such attachment may beperformed by one man working alone with only the assistance of the powerof the tractor loader.

Another object is to provide a new and improved means of the type setforth whereby the contours of the ground upon which the tractor loaderand the counterweights rest is not a factor affecting the ease ofattachment and detachment of the counterweights from said tractorloader.

A further object is to provide a new and improved means of the type setforth whereby one man may readily and easily attach and detach thecounterweights of a tractor loader without the assistance of forceadditional to that supplied by the tractor loader regardless of thelevel or condition of the ground upon which rest the tractor loader andcounterweights.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings. It will be understood that changes may be made in the detailsof construction and arrangement of parts shown and described withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention as set forth in theaccompanying claims as the preferred form has been given by way ofillustration only.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a device embodying the invention with thecounterweights in position preparatory to being loaded;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the device embodying the invention shown inFIG. 1 with the counterweights in a partially loaded position;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view of the tractor mounted loader andcounterweight device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 embodying the inventionshowing the counterweights in a second partially loaded position;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of the tractor loader and counterweightdevice shown in FIGS. 1 through 3 embodying the invention with thecounterweights in operative loaded position; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the counterweights and their attachmentmeans.

3,220,582 Patented Nov. 30, 1965 Referring more particularly to thedrawings wherein similar reference characters designate correspondingparts throughout the several views, the device shown embodying theinvention comprises a tractor 10 having mounted thereon a loaderincluding the loader or push arms 11, linkage 12, bucket 13 and theloader raising and lowering cylinder and ram 14 and 15 respectively. Thebucket pivoting mechanism comprises the cylinder 16 and the ram 17 withcylinder 16 being connected to linkage 12.

The weights consist of the counterweights 18 supported in thecounterweight frame 19 or support for mounting upon the rear of thetractor 10.

The invention consists of a simple and easy means whereby saidcounterweights may be readily mounted to and detached from the rear ofthe tractor 10 by one man working alone without the assistance of anymachinery or power other than that of said tractor being fitted with thecounterweights regardless of the contour of the terrain upon which thetractor and counterweights rest.

More specifically, the invention consists of the provision of armmembers 20 pivotally mounted at 20a upon the counterweight frame 19,which arm members are joined to said frame at the sides of the frameadjacent to its upper face when the frame rests upon the ground in itsusual position.

The arm members 20 contain grooves or slots 21 positioned thereon attheir upper ends such as to engage and pivot upon, and thereby to causethe counterweight frame 19 and its enclosed counterweights 18 to pivotupon, the pivot pins 22 which pivot pins are mounted upon the rear ofthe tractor 10 in a manner to be later described.

This positioning of the slots 21 upon the upper ends of the pivotallymounted arms 20 permits the slots to engage the pivot pins 22 regardlessof the level and contours of the ground upon which the counterweightframe 19 rests as, by pivoting said arm members to different angles tosaid counterweight frame, a man loading the counterweights 18 upon thetractor 10 may compensate for variations in the level and contours ofthe ground. Thus, though the provision of means for varying this angle,variations in the contours of the ground upon which rest thecounterweights 18 and the tractor 10 have been made immaterial asconcerns the ease and speed with which one man may load saidcounterweights into operative position upon said tractor.

The arm members 20 contain, also, hole means or openings 23, said holemeans being located thereupon at the end of said arm members farthestfrom the slots 21. Said hole means enable the counterweights 18 onceloaded into operative position upon the rear of the tractor 10 to besecurely locked into position thereon in a manner to be later described.

Said arm member further includes hole means or openings 24 locatedadjacent to the hole means 23. Said hole means 24 serve to receivecables 25 which cables serve to connect the arm members 20 to either thebucket 13 or the push arms 12 of the loader apparatus as may be desired.This connection to the arm members 20 through cables 25 permits theoperator of the tractor to load the rear of the counterweights 18 intooperative position or to unload said counterweights whichever he maydesire through the movements of either said bucket 13 or said push arms12, the determinant factor as to which being dependent upon theplacement of connection of the cable on the loader apparatus.

The counterweight frame 19 includes connection means 26 on the two ofits opposite sides to which the arm members 20 are attached. Saidconnection means 26 serve to receive the cables 25, the other ends ofwhich cables 25 are connected to either the bucket 13 or the push arms12 of the loader device such that the movement of the part of the loaderto which the attachment is made moves 3 the front of the counterweightframe 19 and, hence, the enclosed counterweights 18 into either itsoperative or unloaded position, whichever may be desired by theoperator.

Locking hole means or openings 27 are also provided upon thecounterweight frame 19 such that the front of the counterweight frame 19may be locked in their operative position upon the tractor after havingbeen moved to such position by the action of the movement of thatportion of that part of the loader to which the cable is attached uponsaid cable.

Plates 28 including a hole means 29 are provided upon the rear undersideof the tractor 10. These hole means 29 are so positioned as to line upor be aligned with the locking hole means 27 in the counterweight frame19 when the counterweights 18 are in their operative position such thatsaid locking hole means 27 and said hole means 29 may receive a commonbolt or similar fastener and the front of the counterweight frame 19 maybe held securely in such operative position.

Upon the rear of the tractor 10 and extending downwardly therefrom aremounted the supports 30 containing the pivot pins 22 upon which pivotpins the slots 21 in the arm members ride when the cable means isconnected into hole means 24 for use in moving the rear of thecounterweights 18 into operative position. These pivot pins 22 furtherserve to support the rear of the counterweights 18 while in operativeposition and the tractor 10 is in normal operating use.

Said supports further include at their upper ends locking holes 31.These locking holes 31 are so positioned in said supports as to bealigned with and capable of sharing bolts or similar fastening devicewith hole means 23 when the arm members 20 containing said hole means 23have been pivoted upon the pivot pins 22 into their operative uprightposition. The insertion of the bolts or similar fastening means throughthe aligned locking holes 31 and hole means 23 thus serves to maintainthe rear portion of the counterweights 18 in operative position.

In operation, when the operator of the tractor loader desires to loadthe counterweights 18 into operative position, he merely backs thetractor 10 up such that the tractor 10 is within reach of the upperportions of the arm members 20. He need not select level ground for thepurposes of this attachment as one of the features of this invention isthe provision of a means whereby counterweights may be attached to anddetached from a tractor regardless of the contours of the ground uponwhich the tractor and counterweights rest.

Next, the operator pivots the upper portion of the arm members 20 suchthat the slots 21 rest on the pivot pins 22 on the support on the rearof the tractor 10. Then the cables 25 are attached to the hole means 24and to either the bucket 13 or the push arms 12 of the loader. Thenthrough the movement of either the bucket 13 or the push arms 12 of theloader depending upon which connection has been made,.the rear of thecounterweights 18 are pulled into position upon the rear of the tractor10. Bolts or similar fastening are then placed through both lockingholes 31 and hole means 23 such that the rear of the counterweights 18will be held securely in position upon the tractor 10.

The cables 25 are detached from the hole means 24 and attached to theconnection means 26 on the sides of the counterweight frame 19. Then,through the mechanical force of the tractor loader, more specifically,through the movement of either the bucket 13 or the push arms 12 of theloader depending upon, as was before stated, to which the cables 25 havebeen attached, the front end of the counterweights are pulled intoposition on the tractor.

Bolts or similar fastenings are placed through the locking hole means 27in the counterweight frame 19 and the hole means 29 on plates 28 mountedupon the tractor, the cables 25 are detached and the counterweights 18are firmly and securely attached to the tractor loader, which is nowready for normal operation.

To detach the counterweights 18 from the tractor, the operator simplyreverses this procedure.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have provided a new andimproved means whereby counterweights may be readily and speedilyattached to and detached from a tractor by one man working alone withonly the assistance of the power of the tractor being fitted with thecounterweights regardless of the contours of the ground upon which reststhe tractor and the counterweights.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have provided new andimproved means for obtaining all of the objects and advantages of theinvention.

1 claim:

1. In combination, a vehicle provided with support means to support acounterweight, and a counterweight, said support means including apivot, and said counterweight being provided with a lifting leverpivoted to said counterweight, said lifting lever being provided withmeans to engage said pivot on said support means when said counterweightis lying on the ground and said lifting lever being provided wtih aconnection whereby a tension cable secured to said lever will rotatesaid lever about said pivot on said support means to lift saidcounterweight from the ground when said cable is tensioned.

2. In combination, a vehicle provided with support means to support acounterweight, and a counterweight, said support means including a pairof spaced pivots, and said counterweight being provided with a pair oflifting levers pivoted to said counterweight, said lifting levers eachbeing provided with means to engage one of said pivots on said supportmeans when said counterweight is lying on the ground and one of saidlifting levers being provided with a connection whereby a tension cablesecured to said lever will rotate said lever about said pivot on saidsupport means to lift one end of said counterweight from the ground whensaid cable is tensioned, whereby said end of said counterweight may beconnected to said support means, and connection means on saidcounterweight whereby a tension cable secured thereto will rotate saidcounterweight from the ground to a position where it may be connected tosaid support means.

3. In combination, a vehicle provided with support means to support acounterweight, and a counterweight, said support means including apivot, and said counterweight being provided with a lifting leverpivoted to said counterweight, said lifting lever being provided withmeans to engage said pivot on said support means when said counterweightis lying on the ground and said lifting lever being provided with aconnection whereby a tension cable secured to said lever will rotatesaid lever about said pivot on said support means to lift saidcounterweight from the ground when said cable is tensioned, whereby saidend of said counterweight may be connected to said support means, andconnection means on said counterweight whereby a tension cable securedthereto will rotate said counterweight from the ground to a positionwhere it may be connected to said support means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,722,320 11/1955Dobeus et al 212-8 2,820,556 1/1958 Davis 214-142 FOREIGN PATENTS208,133 10/1955 Australia.

HUGO O. SCHULZ, Primary Examiner.

1. IN COMBINATION, A VEHICLE PROVIDED WITH SUPPORT MEANS TO SUPPORT ACOUNTERWEIGHT, AND A COUNTERWEIGHT, SAID SUPPORT MEANS INCLUDING APIVOT, AND SAID COUNTERWEIGHT BEING PROVIDED WITH A LIFTING LEVERPIVOTED TO SAID COUNTERWEIGHT, SAID LIFTING LEVER BEING PROVIDED WITHMEANS TO ENGAGE SAID PIVOT ON SAID SUPPORT MEANS WHEN SAID COUNTERWEIGHTIS LYING ON THE GROUND AND SAID LIFTING LEVER BEING PROVIDED WITH ACONNECTION WHEREBY A TENSION CABLE SECURED TO SAID LEVER WILL ROTATESAID LEVER ABOUT SAID PIVOT ON SAID SUPPORT MEANS TO LIFT SAIDCOUNTERWEIGHT FROM THE GROUND WHEN SAID CABLE IS TENSIONED.